If you are a business owner who has decided to build a building for your business, get ready for a task. In today’s economy most likely you are on a tight budget and have little room for extra expenses beyond the building itself.
If you are handling the task yourself, here is what you commonly have to face.
The Building Design
This is the first step that you probably want to begin the process with. To meet the requirements of most municipalities, floor plans have to be drawn to scale along with all exterior views, electrical plans, slab or foundation plan, framing plan, HVAC plans, plumbing plan and isometrics, full sectional details and partial, roof plans, and the site plan. Then there are special drawings like fastener and handicap accessibility details that have to be drawn. You will have to hire a designer or if the job is larger than five thousand square feet and three stories high, most states require that you hire an architect and engineer.
The Bank
Your lending institution will want to see a presentation of the proposed building. This is where you would take a set of presentation drawings from your designer or architect to make you pitch on what you are needing the money for. Make sure it is drawn so that there is no question what you are wanting. A good isometric of the exterior and a floor plan are usually sufficient.
The Planning Commissions
Once your drawings are complete and ready for submission, in some cases you will have to go before a planning commission for approval before the building inspectors can even start on your plan. This is a special board at your local government office that reviews all new construction in your area. They will probably spend some time making sure your plan blends into the plan of the municipality. Some of their concerns will possibly be your buildings impact on the local environment.
The Building Inspections Office and Fire Marshal
These guys are fun to deal with. Each one has his or her special interest that will have to be addressed like American Disabilities Act compliance and sufficient electrical designed into the structure. The fire marshal will be especially interested in fire exits, extinguisher locations, and sprinklers. If something is missed or their requirements are somewhat above international code, they will have to be added into the plan.
The Contractor
If you are not planning to oversee the construction yourself, a contractor will need to be hired. The plans that you had drawn will be very instrumental if choosing one of these. Make sure that each and ever contractor who bids on your plans has an exact copy of the plans. I would not recommend having a contractor redesign the structure so make sure that they are bidding on the building as it is drawn.
Once a contractor is chosen, you can get the ball rolling. If he or she has bid on a complete package, all you need to do then is write the checks from your construction account and meet with the contractor for any special questions they may have during the construction process. Make sure that any changes made during construction are marked on a master set of plans so that when the job is done, there will not be any question on extra charges incurred.
About the Author
Tim Davis is a fully trained Architectural Designer with over twenty years experience who would be more than happy to help you with your plans. His website is at http://buildingdrawings.8m.com
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